USCIS has announced that, effective immediately, they will resume Premium Processing of H-1B petitions for cap-exempt organizations, such as institutions of higher education like Penn.
Departments are again able to take advantage of Premium Processing when submitting H-1b petitions to USCIS. H-1B petitions submitted to ISSS with a request for Premium…

Dear International Students, Faculty, Staff, and Department Representatives,
As you may know, a new Executive Order has been signed yesterday restricting visas and immigration from certain countries, again raising concerns for many members of the Penn Community. I write to provide details about the current situation and to reiterate our committed…

On Friday, March 3, 2017, USCIS announced that it will suspend Premium Processing for all H-1B petitions, effective April 3, 2017 until further notice. The option of Premium Processing provides a response to all H-1B petitions within 15 days for an additional fee.
The full announcement can be found here. …

Date of Announcement: September 1, 2016
Immigrants all over the country are being targeted in scams. Don’t be one of the victims! Scammers may call or email you, pretending to be a government official, such as USCIS or IRS. They will say that there is a problem with an application or additional…

[sent to all F-1 students on 3/11/2016]:
We write to share the update that the new STEM OPT final rule has now been published. The rule is available in its final form on the Federal Register's Current Issue page at https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2016-03-11/pdf/2016-04828.pdf.
The STEM Designated Degree Program list is…

[sent to all F-1 students with STEM majors on 1/26/2016]:
As many of you are aware, the existing STEM OPT program has been undergoing some significant changes following last summer's court decision. We are writing to inform you that the February 12, 2016 deadline that the court imposed on the Department…

Please be alerted that if you receive a phone call from an “IRS agent” demanding that you have to complete Form 2555 and pay a fine or you and your family will be deported, you should report it to Penn Police. ISSS has confirmed with Penn's Department of Public Safety about…

The Department of State has released information on the system glitch that has been causing visa processing delays at the U.S. Consulates around the world. Their system is still performing below its normal operational capacity. Therefore, it will take some weeks before they are back to normal turnaround times on issued…

The U.S. consulates in Canada will temporarily suspend Third Country National (TCN) processing during the peak demand period of June, July, and August 2014.
TCNs, in this case, are individuals who are not citizens or Landed immigrants of Canada, but want to obtain a visa sticker at one of U.S.…

The Penn Philippine Association (PPA) would like to offer our deepest condolences and sympathies to the families and loved ones of those affected by Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda and many thanks to all those who have shown support so far.
As a student organization with members both from the Philippines and with family…

Updates Date of Announcement: October 18, 2013
Both chambers of the U.S. Congress passed a temporary budget deal which was signed by President Obama shortly thereafter. Federal workers have been instructed to return to work effective today, October 17, 2013.
As federal agencies resume operations, it may take time for immigration-related…

Date of Announcement: June 21, 2013
Starting 9/1/2013, the minimum will be slightly raised to $25,400 from $24,595 a year. Funding requirements for J-2 dependents will not change.
For post docs, please continue to follow the requisite stipend levels. Completed J-1 scholar eforms submitted to ISSS on or after 9/1/2013 should…

Date of Announcement: July 25, 2013
Dear Penn Community:
The office of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) is pleased to inform you that we are returning to our newly-renovated space. Thus, our office will be closed on Friday, August 2 and will reopen at 1pm on Monday, August 5. We…

Date of Announcement: March 28, 2013
On April 30, 2013, the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency, a component of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), will begin automating the Form I-94 process at air and sea ports by eliminating the paper Form I-94.
At this point, there is…

It has been reported to our office that one of our foreign nationals was contacted by someone claiming to be a Department of Homeland Security officer. The foreign national was asked to wire money to a specified account.
Please note that U.S. government officials or agencies will NOT contact you for…

Date of Announcement: February 6, 2012
The following announcement has been posted on the website of the U.S. Embassy in Damascus, Syria:
U.S. Suspends Consular Operations in Damascus
Effective February 6, 2012, the U.S. Embassy has suspended operations and is not open for normal consular services. Neither U.S. passports nor visas…

Date of Announcement: December 4, 2012
Starting today, we are requesting a copy of Form I-94, Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Record, from all Penn-sponsored individuals in H-1B, E-3, O-1 or TN status for all future entries to the United States for which a new Form I-94 is issued.
This is to ensure that…

Date of Announcement: September 19, 2012
Starting 1/1/2013, the new minimum will be $24,595 a year from $21,000 a year. Completed J-1 scholar eforms submitted to ISSS on or after 1/1/2013 should meet the new minimum funding requirement.
Funding requirements for J-2 dependents will not change. For post docs, please continue…